Anyone see Bettman at the game tonight?

No matter what happened with the Kovy saga last summer... people have to stop blaming Bettman for EVERYTHING. People complain over and over again about the Caps and Pens being shoved down our throat... well let's look at it? Would the Devils have been able to provide access for HBO's 24/7 like we got to see? HELL NO. The Caps and Pens are two teams with HUGE fan bases and also sell out every game. Their ticket prices are close to the same as ours and their fans have no problem filling the arena night in and night out. Complain however you want about Sid and Ovie... Sid is an absolute GOD and hero in his hometown in Canada and also is one of the best players in the world. The NHL would be STUPID not to market the hell out of him. As for Ovechkin, if Crosby is #1 then he's #1a. He's one of the only reasons that hockey is a big deal in the US Capital right now.

As for the Kovy contract. It was complete horse crap. 17 years? Come on... show me how many Russian superstars had a career that long. The Devils were trying to take advantage of the fact that there was no specific written rule for what they were trying to do even though it was a complete slap in the face and lie-on-paper as it was given to the league. The other contracts anyone could bring up are certainly "pushing the envelope" and the league WARNED GMs what would happen if it continued. So there goes Lou and JVB handing the WORST one in to the league and holding a press conference before it gets accepted thinking everything's going to be cool.

And I am sick and tired of hearing people talk about how Bettman is doing this and Bettman is doing that blah blah blah. The NHL is a LARGE company with different divisions and boards and committees. Sidney Crosby happens to be the league's top money maker... his salary is a legit one as is his cap hit... he has saved hockey in Pittsburgh along with Mario Lemiuex, has ridiculous endorsement deals.. and so on. What is the NHL supposed to do... tell him to fvck off? Say "hey you'll make us a ton of money but we really don't feel like it right now." Then people complain "why can't Parise be marketed like that?" The Devils and ours truly Mr. Lamoriello happens to have complete control over those kinds of ordeals. You'll have to take my word for it but I know from a Devils management point of view there are a LOT of things the players can and can't do and a good number of things that no one will ever have access to. Besides Lemaire on Versus last night, when was the last time you saw a Devils coach get interviewed like that during a game?

People say Bettman ruined the NHL's television broadcasting situation by moving it to Versus. Well ESPN was giving the NHL minimal airtime and was completely lowballing the league left and right. Hockey has a lot more exposure and airtime now that it is away from ESPN.

People also blame Bettman for the southern expansion in the league. Is it his fault? Really? He made a bold decision to expand the game. If a franchise works in a certain city it gains a lot of fans and starts an entire grassroots hockey campaign at the college, high school, and youth level. It's not his fault that Wadell in Atlanta doesn't know his ass from his elbow... it's not his fault that the arena in Glendale, AZ was built where it was and the owners have shallow pockets. It's not his fault that the GM of the Panthers can't ice a respectable team. It's also not his fault that Wang in Long Island, despite the amount zero's on the second half of his bank account cannot get his team a new building and expensive payroll. As for Canadian expansion, where in Canada can another team go. Canada has less than 40 million people right? That's about the amount of the New York, Boston, Philly, and Chicago metro areas combined. Where is there another city in Canada that has the dense downtown along with millions of people in the metro area that can support a team? Winnipeg? No. Use Bing or Google Earth and you'll see how far Winnipeg's metro area reaches.

I'm going on and on I know, but people are blaming one guy for this and that and the other thing and it's not fair.

Back to the Devils... a year like this has shown me how much of a sh!t franchise we might have. There are NO fans. When Philly was the worst team in the league a few years ago they sold out almost every game. Ottawa hasn't been great in recent memory but they fill their building. Our fans show up whenever they feel like it. Yeah ticket prices are expensive but there are SO many ways around that it's not even funny. And while in the building they boo the team left and right, yell slurs about Canada regardless of how many Canadians are on the Devils, and many other things that piss me off.

So back to the original subject. Congrats to the OP. You yelled you suck at someone proving you are more ignorant than most people here. Especially because you came back thinking that everyone here would laugh and congratulate you on your childish display. People here have a lot to learn.

Probably one of the most thorough posts I've ever seen here.

And to the OP, what you should have told Gary was to bring back the Patrick Division, Wales Conference, etc. Name the extra divisions after Orr, Howe, or Gretzky.

There's a litany of factors leading to why the Devils don't sell as well. Hockey to the Canadians is like Football to Americans, it's cultural, there's always going to be higher attendance at Canadian hockey games.
The Devils aren't in the best location and they're in bookended by two clubs(Flyers/Rangers) that have longer histories. The Devils came into the fold into 1982 and had to carve their own fanbase from those stragglers in New Jersey who weren't already A)fans of the Flyers/Rangers and B)were hockey fans. The Devils actually have a strong fanbase outside of New Jersey and across the US. Attendance at games doesn't necessarily correlate to true fanbase. I'm in New Mexico, I'm not planning on making a trip anytime soon to see the Devils play. Many people still don't know that New Jersey has a team, but they know that Philly and New York have teams, and they could just be guessing, but there's a high percentage of people out there who know that New York and Philly have hockey teams just based on the importance of those cities than know that Jersey has a team. Heck, I didn't even know Jersey had a team until 1995. I have met a gaggle of people here in lol who are fans of the Devils though. I was born in Dover, NJ and I might not have ended up a Devils fan if I still lived there.

hey njd26, where you not one of those in the epic we signed kovy thread angry at Bettman and the league over their HANDLING of the situation?

Also, for the sake of argument, lets assume Betteman has done a great job as commish. Hes still managed to take alot of crap out on the Devils. For that reason alone, saying 'you suck' to him is deserving when hes in our arena for the first time since.

hey njd26, where you not one of those in the epic we signed kovy thread angry at Bettman and the league over their HANDLING of the situation?

Also, for the sake of argument, lets assume Betteman has done a great job as commish. Hes still managed to take alot of crap out on the Devils. For that reason alone, saying 'you suck' to him is deserving when hes in our arena for the first time since.

Actually he's been to many games this season. He goes to Devils games more than any, considering he lives here. So does Bill Daly.

Scored some free club seats and was in section 8. Right before the third started I was chilling in the ice lounge. I ran into a friend and was bsing with him. Then he says there's Bettman, and I turn around to see him walking by me. I couldn't resist. I yelled you suck at him. Then I see this huge security guy in a suit look at me and start heading over, so I go back to talking to my friend thinking, fvck this guy's gonna kick me out. He taps me and says don't be a fvcking dick. I then apologized, and the guy didn't take his eyes off me for like 5 minutes. Looked like he was heading down to his seats, had to be in section 6 or 7. Can't believe he would sit anywhere but a box after what he did to this team.

Look out, we've got a real tough guy on the forum here

hey njd26, where you not one of those in the epic we signed kovy thread angry at Bettman and the league over their HANDLING of the situation?

Also, for the sake of argument, lets assume Betteman has done a great job as commish. Hes still managed to take alot of crap out on the Devils. For that reason alone, saying 'you suck' to him is deserving when hes in our arena for the first time since.

So we feel he screwed us over and now we're gonna act like little kids and yell things at him? Another tough guy!!

FYI - It wasn't his first time in our arena since the incident, but why get our facts straight, right?

No matter what happened with the Kovy saga last summer... people have to stop blaming Bettman for EVERYTHING. People complain over and over again about the Caps and Pens being shoved down our throat... well let's look at it? Would the Devils have been able to provide access for HBO's 24/7 like we got to see? HELL NO. The Caps and Pens are two teams with HUGE fan bases and also sell out every game. Their ticket prices are close to the same as ours and their fans have no problem filling the arena night in and night out. Complain however you want about Sid and Ovie... Sid is an absolute GOD and hero in his hometown in Canada and also is one of the best players in the world. The NHL would be STUPID not to market the hell out of him. As for Ovechkin, if Crosby is #1 then he's #1a. He's one of the only reasons that hockey is a big deal in the US Capital right now.

As for the Kovy contract. It was complete horse crap. 17 years? Come on... show me how many Russian superstars had a career that long. The Devils were trying to take advantage of the fact that there was no specific written rule for what they were trying to do even though it was a complete slap in the face and lie-on-paper as it was given to the league. The other contracts anyone could bring up are certainly "pushing the envelope" and the league WARNED GMs what would happen if it continued. So there goes Lou and JVB handing the WORST one in to the league and holding a press conference before it gets accepted thinking everything's going to be cool.

And I am sick and tired of hearing people talk about how Bettman is doing this and Bettman is doing that blah blah blah. The NHL is a LARGE company with different divisions and boards and committees. Sidney Crosby happens to be the league's top money maker... his salary is a legit one as is his cap hit... he has saved hockey in Pittsburgh along with Mario Lemiuex, has ridiculous endorsement deals.. and so on. What is the NHL supposed to do... tell him to fvck off? Say "hey you'll make us a ton of money but we really don't feel like it right now." Then people complain "why can't Parise be marketed like that?" The Devils and ours truly Mr. Lamoriello happens to have complete control over those kinds of ordeals. You'll have to take my word for it but I know from a Devils management point of view there are a LOT of things the players can and can't do and a good number of things that no one will ever have access to. Besides Lemaire on Versus last night, when was the last time you saw a Devils coach get interviewed like that during a game?

People say Bettman ruined the NHL's television broadcasting situation by moving it to Versus. Well ESPN was giving the NHL minimal airtime and was completely lowballing the league left and right. Hockey has a lot more exposure and airtime now that it is away from ESPN.

People also blame Bettman for the southern expansion in the league. Is it his fault? Really? He made a bold decision to expand the game. If a franchise works in a certain city it gains a lot of fans and starts an entire grassroots hockey campaign at the college, high school, and youth level. It's not his fault that Wadell in Atlanta doesn't know his ass from his elbow... it's not his fault that the arena in Glendale, AZ was built where it was and the owners have shallow pockets. It's not his fault that the GM of the Panthers can't ice a respectable team. It's also not his fault that Wang in Long Island, despite the amount zero's on the second half of his bank account cannot get his team a new building and expensive payroll. As for Canadian expansion, where in Canada can another team go. Canada has less than 40 million people right? That's about the amount of the New York, Boston, Philly, and Chicago metro areas combined. Where is there another city in Canada that has the dense downtown along with millions of people in the metro area that can support a team? Winnipeg? No. Use Bing or Google Earth and you'll see how far Winnipeg's metro area reaches.

I'm going on and on I know, but people are blaming one guy for this and that and the other thing and it's not fair.

Back to the Devils... a year like this has shown me how much of a sh!t franchise we might have. There are NO fans. When Philly was the worst team in the league a few years ago they sold out almost every game. Ottawa hasn't been great in recent memory but they fill their building. Our fans show up whenever they feel like it. Yeah ticket prices are expensive but there are SO many ways around that it's not even funny. And while in the building they boo the team left and right, yell slurs about Canada regardless of how many Canadians are on the Devils, and many other things that piss me off.

So back to the original subject. Congrats to the OP. You yelled you suck at someone proving you are more ignorant than most people here. Especially because you came back thinking that everyone here would laugh and congratulate you on your childish display. People here have a lot to learn.

I might print this out and frame it.. I've never literally given a post a standing ovation before

No matter what happened with the Kovy saga last summer... people have to stop blaming Bettman for EVERYTHING. People complain over and over again about the Caps and Pens being shoved down our throat... well let's look at it? Would the Devils have been able to provide access for HBO's 24/7 like we got to see? HELL NO. The Caps and Pens are two teams with HUGE fan bases and also sell out every game. Their ticket prices are close to the same as ours and their fans have no problem filling the arena night in and night out. Complain however you want about Sid and Ovie... Sid is an absolute GOD and hero in his hometown in Canada and also is one of the best players in the world. The NHL would be STUPID not to market the hell out of him. As for Ovechkin, if Crosby is #1 then he's #1a. He's one of the only reasons that hockey is a big deal in the US Capital right now.

As for the Kovy contract. It was complete horse crap. 17 years? Come on... show me how many Russian superstars had a career that long. The Devils were trying to take advantage of the fact that there was no specific written rule for what they were trying to do even though it was a complete slap in the face and lie-on-paper as it was given to the league. The other contracts anyone could bring up are certainly "pushing the envelope" and the league WARNED GMs what would happen if it continued. So there goes Lou and JVB handing the WORST one in to the league and holding a press conference before it gets accepted thinking everything's going to be cool.

And I am sick and tired of hearing people talk about how Bettman is doing this and Bettman is doing that blah blah blah. The NHL is a LARGE company with different divisions and boards and committees. Sidney Crosby happens to be the league's top money maker... his salary is a legit one as is his cap hit... he has saved hockey in Pittsburgh along with Mario Lemiuex, has ridiculous endorsement deals.. and so on. What is the NHL supposed to do... tell him to fvck off? Say "hey you'll make us a ton of money but we really don't feel like it right now." Then people complain "why can't Parise be marketed like that?" The Devils and ours truly Mr. Lamoriello happens to have complete control over those kinds of ordeals. You'll have to take my word for it but I know from a Devils management point of view there are a LOT of things the players can and can't do and a good number of things that no one will ever have access to. Besides Lemaire on Versus last night, when was the last time you saw a Devils coach get interviewed like that during a game?

People say Bettman ruined the NHL's television broadcasting situation by moving it to Versus. Well ESPN was giving the NHL minimal airtime and was completely lowballing the league left and right. Hockey has a lot more exposure and airtime now that it is away from ESPN.

People also blame Bettman for the southern expansion in the league. Is it his fault? Really? He made a bold decision to expand the game. If a franchise works in a certain city it gains a lot of fans and starts an entire grassroots hockey campaign at the college, high school, and youth level. It's not his fault that Wadell in Atlanta doesn't know his ass from his elbow... it's not his fault that the arena in Glendale, AZ was built where it was and the owners have shallow pockets. It's not his fault that the GM of the Panthers can't ice a respectable team. It's also not his fault that Wang in Long Island, despite the amount zero's on the second half of his bank account cannot get his team a new building and expensive payroll. As for Canadian expansion, where in Canada can another team go. Canada has less than 40 million people right? That's about the amount of the New York, Boston, Philly, and Chicago metro areas combined. Where is there another city in Canada that has the dense downtown along with millions of people in the metro area that can support a team? Winnipeg? No. Use Bing or Google Earth and you'll see how far Winnipeg's metro area reaches.

I'm going on and on I know, but people are blaming one guy for this and that and the other thing and it's not fair.

Back to the Devils... a year like this has shown me how much of a sh!t franchise we might have. There are NO fans. When Philly was the worst team in the league a few years ago they sold out almost every game. Ottawa hasn't been great in recent memory but they fill their building. Our fans show up whenever they feel like it. Yeah ticket prices are expensive but there are SO many ways around that it's not even funny. And while in the building they boo the team left and right, yell slurs about Canada regardless of how many Canadians are on the Devils, and many other things that piss me off.

So back to the original subject. Congrats to the OP. You yelled you suck at someone proving you are more ignorant than most people here. Especially because you came back thinking that everyone here would laugh and congratulate you on your childish display. People here have a lot to learn.

At the end of the day, if you're upset about someone yelling "you suck" (hell, we do it after every goal) then you're extremely sensitive.

That is all.

And a frightening number of people here don't realize that there's a big difference between chanting 'you suck' from the stands and going out of your way to do it in a guy's face. I'm just saying the latter is borderline harassment.

Yes we can all disagree vehemently with what he did, think he's out to get the Devils and whatnot but at the end of the day it's still just a game.

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"The Devils have high standards, that's the difference. We have a standard to live up to every year, and a couple of teams in our area don't have the standards we do." - Pat Burns

The New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cups everywhere:-NHL record for most road wins in the playoffs - 10-1 in '95 and 10-2 in '00-NHL record for most home wins in the playoffs - 12-1 in '03

I believe it is sect 7, a row in the teens like the first couple seats. I didn't see him Tuesday, but I've seen him there twice before. I was down lower and on the other side of the rows from him when a fight broke out and the fans were all (of course) cheering and into it bigtime I turned and yelled to him "Hey Bettman!! Why would you want to take that outta the game?! Look around you" He was standing just like everyone else he did actually look around the arena but never dropped that smirk/frown he was wearing.

Awesome call there DIG!

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Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is!Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

So we feel he screwed us over and now we're gonna act like little kids and yell things at him? Another tough guy!!

Oh get off it and stop being so sensitive. Voicing one's displeasure to someone is not limited to children. No one made any yo-mama jokes to Gary.

And a frightening number of people here don't realize that there's a big difference between chanting 'you suck' from the stands and going out of your way to do it in a guy's face. I'm just saying the latter is borderline harassment.

Yes we can all disagree vehemently with what he did, think he's out to get the Devils and whatnot but at the end of the day it's still just a game.

Saying you suck from across a room to Gary Bettman is borderline harrassment? Whatever

Yet, thousands of fans love screaming you suck, flyers swallow in front of each other, and even after goals. At least the OP showed some courage and felt strongly enough to tell him in person instead of hiding behind a crowd.